This marks the fourth straight year the college has ranked first among its peers in the total number of students studying abroad, prompting the Star Tribune to note in its story about the survey that Minnesota's "top school is still tops."

While the number of students across Minnesota who studied abroad dipped slightly in 2010–11, overall participation at St. Olaf held steady. Director of International and Off-Campus Studies Eric Lund told the Star Tribune that while fewer students are going on shorter study-abroad programs, the college has seen a slight uptick in students participating in semester-long programs.

St. Olaf currently offers nearly 90 study abroad programs in 48 countries, including Global Semester, Term in Asia, and Term in the Middle East.

Open Doors is the comprehensive information resource on international students in the United States and on the more than 200,000 U.S. students who study abroad as part of their academic experience. The Institute of International Education publishes the Open Doors report annually with funding from the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.